The School of Mary Sues
by SpaghettiGirl
Summary: Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away...
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far, far away, there was an enchanted stone castle, sitting atop a hill. An iron gate surrounded it, marking the border between the rest of the land, and it's ample property. It sat there, looking bleak and dreary, and was vacant for many years. The People, whom lived in the little Village below the hill had heard many terrifying rumours about the spells that were put on the ample property; the warts that you could possibly acquire, the way your hair would turn many different shades of grey, regardless of your age, and, if you were really unfortunate, an incurable disease that would haunt you for the rest of your life. To them, it seemed as if the castle towered over them. It appeared quite intimidating.

And so, people stayed away from it.

One autumn morning, a wizard from the nearest town came to the People's tiny village. They greeted him warmly, for magic-users were very well respected in those days, and they gave him a place to sleep. The People were hospitable towards him, and he was grateful.

On the second day of his stay, the wizard noticed the castle, and the powerful magic it held. He saw that the People lived in constant fear of the castle; their eyes seemed to continuously flicker across it, no matter where they were, or what they were doing— even during the harvesting months, when they were much more joyful than they usually were. They were wary of it.

The Wizard understood this all, and knew what had to be done.

He called a meeting, and all the villagers attended, gathering around the bonfire pit. They were all confused, for the Wizard had not told them the reason for this assembly. As they glanced at each other uneasily, they wondered what they had done wrong.

_Surely_, they thought, _we made a mistake. Why else would a wizard ask for all of us together? For what are we, but lowly villagers?_

The Wizard cleared his throat, hushing the crowd. The People looked up at him anxiously, their eyes silently imploring him to put them out of their misery.

"I have called you all today, to discuss something important," the Wizard spoke clearly, his voice drifting across the Village.

The crowd stirred fretfully, but did not speak.

The Wizard waved his arm in the direction of castle. "That. This castle. It beams with powerful magic. Even the most inexperienced and novice wizard can feel it. We must talk of this castle of yours."

"'Tis not our castle!" a voice cried out indignantly, as if owning a castle were a sign of impurity.

"Oh, yes?" the Wizard said questioningly. "Then why, may I ask, is this castle here? Why is it so— attached to this village?"

"'Twas just— _there._" The same person spoke. "From the beginning, for as long as we can remember, 'twas there. We lack fables and stories about how that castle came to be. Though," he added after a brief moment of silence, "we do have many about the horrid things that could happen if thou entered it's gates."

The Wizard pondered at these words. "I see. Thou humble villagers have no recollection whatsoever about how the castle appeared?"

Each villager shook their head. There were many collective sighs, and murmurs of, "no, none at all Wizard."

He nodded. "I see. I understand why you live in fear, but I believe that this is unnecessary. I have analysed the magic on the property, and have come to a conclusion. This," he declared, flourishing his hand, "is a school."

The People glanced at each other in bewilderment. "A school? This castle is a school?"

"It is a school," the Wizard confirmed. "But it is not a normal school. 'Tis a perfect school."

"A perfect school?"

"When thou steps inside the gates of that castle, thou becomes perfect," the Wizard explained patiently.

The audience was listening with rapture now. "We can be perfect," they marvelled.

"But, be warned," the Wizards voice turned ominous. "Once thou set foot in there, thou will never desire to leave. And though the magic may make thou perfect, it will not keep thou that way. Thou will have to go through vigorous training to maintain your state."

But he had the people entranced, and they took no heed of the warnings. They wanted to go. They wanted to be perfect.

"We will all go," they proclaimed. "We will start a new life in this perfect castle."

The Wizard hesitated before speaking. "I tell you, I am sorry, but only young ladies are allowed in."

The audience quickly snapped back to reality. "Only ladies?" they asked. "Why? 'Tis not fair!"

The Wizard shrugged. "Do not ask me why the castle acts this way. I only tell you about the magic."

The People grumbled to each other about the unfairness of it all. The boys wanted to live in the castle, but were not allowed to. The girls wanted to live in the castle, but did not dare leave the People behind.

"All ladies from ages thirteen to twenty are possible candidates," the Wizard continued, ignoring their complaints. "The castle may reject you; it seems that it only accepts a few people each year, during the beginning of the harvesting months. Do you understand?"

"We understand," the crowd muttered, still miffed.

"Now, if any young ladies wish to come live and become perfect in this castle, please step up. I will walk you to the gates of the castle, and you will go on your own from there." The Wizard waited.

Some girls fidgeted, and glanced at their parents, only to quickly look away. They wished to go, but would miss their parents. No one volunteered.

"Is there no one?" the Wizard asked, secretly relieved.

"I will."

The first girl had volunteered.

"So shall I."

"And I."

Several more girls spoke up after the first. They stood up, and walked towards the wizard. In total, there were twenty-two.

He sighed. "Alright. As you wish. You must all say good-bye now. You shall bring nothing; the castle shall provide for you."

The girls looked back at their parents and friends for the last time. There were tears in their eyes, but their strong determination and the temptation to become perfect kept them going.

"Good-bye," they murmured, and turned to face the castle. They did not look back.

They walked up to the castle, along with the Wizard. The girls could not help but feel a spark of excitement, despite the part of them that was mourning in mounting homesickness. As they parted with the Wizard, they thanked him for all he had done, and he, in return, wished them luck.

They were seen no more of in the village, for all had been accepted. The People mourned for them. The Wizard left the village, and did not return for many decades. Their lives went on.

And so, thus began the School of Mary-Sues.

**A/N: I've been writing this for awhile now and decided to put it up. So please, review and point out mistakes!**


	2. A Missing Book

**A Missing Book**

_The Village has grown and flourished over the many decades. It is no longer a village, but a thriving town, filled with many girls, and boys; the girls come from the surrounding cities and towns in hopes of acceptance into the castle, and the boys come to swoon over the girls._

"Janet!" Mom called from the kitchen.

I felt a twitch of irritation, but tried to keep it out of my voice. "What is it Mom?"

"You forgot to wash the dishes!"

I groaned, annoyed. Didn't she understand what an important day this was? I should be trying to figure out how to get accepted into the castle, not washing _dishes_.

I knew why Mom was doing this. She wanted to make sure that the castle rejected me, and her way of doing that was to make me work my butt off until I was too exhausted to even think of the castle. And that's not just me acting paranoid, it's a fact. I knew that this was because she would miss me, but sometimes, she took it too far. Once, Mom had made me dig up all the weeds from the garden, unclog our toilet, cook all the meals, and in between, run errands for her all over town on the same day. At night, I had collapsed on my bed in exhaustion, and had fallen into a deep and dreamless sleep immediately.

Luckily, today was my last night at home. That is, if I get in the castle.

"Mom," I said through gritted teeth. "I'm busy right now, and would really appreciate it if I could have some time to relax."

Mom took awhile to answer. "Alright sweetie," she said quietly.

I sighed of relief, and went over to the bookshelf in the living room. I ran my fingers along the spine of the books, looking for a particular title. I couldn't find it.

"Mom?" I called. This time, I made no effort to hold my annoyance back. "Where did you put my copy of _Enchanted Castles_?"

She was silent.

"Mom!" Okay, I understood why she was working me to death, but hiding my book? That was taking it a little too far.

I stomped into the kitchen and glared at her. "Tell me where you put it!"

She was standing with her back facing me, chopping carrots and potatoes. She turned around, and I saw that there were tears in her eyes.

I took a step back, suddenly unnerved. My mom never cries. Not when she sprained her ankle, not when her parents died (though they were never close), not when my dad left. So, why now?

"Mom?" I repeated tentatively.

She put down the knife she was holding, and sat down on a chair. "Yes Janet?"

"I- um, are you alright?"

Mom sighed, like she was burdened with all the worlds' troubles. "I'm fine. It's just that I'll miss you so much." She closed her eyes.

"Well, I might see you again—"

It suddenly hit me like the Indonesian tsunami. If I was accepted into the castle, I would never see Mom again. Of course, I was informed of this earlier, but I hadn't really given it much of a thought. But now, the day after leaving, I wasn't so sure. Did I really want to give up everything I had to live in some castle?

I looked out the window where we had a perfect view of the castle, and my resolve hardened again. Yes. Yes I did. I wanted to be perfect, even if that meant giving up everything I owned.

I would miss my mom though.

"You could come and visit me," I suggested.

Mom shook her head, tears spilling out of the corners of her eyes. "You know that no one can get in unless they are castle students. And you know that I'm not one."

I remembered the story that Mom had told me ever so often. She had been a fourteen-year-old, just a little older than me. She was also a candidate, though her parents hadn't approved. They had forbidden her to try, but Mom had snuck out on the day the castle chose which girls it would accept. Mom had met up with her friends, and chatting excitedly, they had walked up to the castle. Some older girls were already there. Mom had asked when they were allowed to try and enter, and they told her at noon. And so, they waited.

When the loud bells of our town chimed twelve times, the girls had organised themselves in a line, and attempted to step in the gates. Mom hadn't been allowed in. She had watched as all her friends, laughing, skipped to the castle doors, and forget her completely.

Her parents had been angry with her when Mom returned home, but she didn't care. All she could think of was the look of pure joy on all the girls faces. She told me that though they looked happy, they seemed to remember nothing of our town. She was glad that she had been rejected.

"You'll forget me Janet."

It was my turn to shake my head fiercely. "No. No I won't. I'm not like your castle friends. I won't forget."

Mom's laugh was soft and sad. I could tell that she didn't believe me for a second.

"I won't!" I repeated stubbornly.

"But either way, I'll end up alone," she said.

"You- you have your friends," I argued. "You have lots of them. And Dad! He might come back soon!"

Mom laughed again, but this time, it sounded even more unhappy. "Your dad will not be coming back for awhile. His job makes sure of that."

I sighed. She was right. I wasn't even going to get to say good-bye to my dad.

"I might not get in," I said.

Mom smiled. "I hope you don't." She stood up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "This is your last day. Don't waste it on tears. Go out and enjoy it. Why don't you ride out to the hills?"

"Okay Mom, I will," I replied. For her sake, I forced myself to sound enthusiastic.

I gave her a hug. "But can I ask you one more thing?"

She nodded.

"Where did you put my book?


	3. A Glimpse of The Sunset

**A Glimpse of The Sunset**

"Jasper," I grunted, pushing hard on my bike pedals. "Slow down."

Just like Mom had suggested, I decided to go out for a ride to the surrounding hills of my town, hoping to catch a glimpse of the sunset. But I had dragged my best friend, Jasper along. I wanted to spend one last moment with him. Unfortunately for me, Jasper was one of the best bikers in our town, and I could never keep up with him.

He just laughed, and sped up.

I groaned. Sometimes, I wondered why we were friends.

I pedaled harder and faster, trying to keep up with him. We rode until the pavement streets turned into dirt roads, and saw the rolling green hills of The Village.

Our town was actually a valley. The only way out was to climb up the high hills, go down and through the dark forest not far from there, and then cross the river that lay waiting on the other side. The journey would usually take up to two weeks, as the result of going through a forest with dim lighting. I heard that the trees were incredibly tall, and that it was pitch black at night. Most people that journeyed into the forest came back exhausted, and occasionally delirious.

"Jasper," I panted, slowing down. "Let's stop. I'm tired, and we a have a great view of the sunset from here."

He turned his head to look at me briefly. "But if we ride up to the hills, then we'll have an even better view!"

His pace never faltered, and I was forced to speed up again in order to keep him in sight.

When we reached the top of the hills, I braked. I hopped off my bike and looked around me. I spotted the forest below, only a couple hundred yards from the hills. The trees that I could see were small, baby trees. But in the heart of the forest, they loomed over you and it was quite intimidating.

I averted my gaze to look for Jasper, and realized that he was still on his bike.

"Oh come on!" I complained. I walked over to him and swatted his arm. "If we ride any further, we'll reach the forest!"

"Okay, okay," he grinned and nimbly jumped off his bike. He waved his arms around, gesturing at the view. "Look at this Janet! How could you want to leave it?"

I rolled my eyes, but understood what he meant. The sunset looked stunning against the pale, blue sky.

Again, I felt a flicker of doubt, and it questioned my resolve to leave. I glanced at Jasper. Living at the castle would mean that I would have to leave him too.

"And you promised me that we would go into the forest one day and make it out alive, remember?" he continued.

I swivelled around to stare at the castle. It looked like no more than a child's toy from here, but still held the charm that made me want to go. My doubt left me.

"I was six, Jasper. _Six._ I didn't know what I was talking about. And anyways, the forest is too dangerous for us."

For a brief nanosecond, his eyes looked hurt. But then it was replaced by the same mischievous twinkle he always had, and I wondered if it was just my imagination.

"Too dangerous? Are you sure that you aren't just scared, Janet?" Jasper teased. He flopped down on the grass and patted the spot beside him.

Once again, I rolled my eyes as I sat down beside him.

"Scared? Of what? The dark?" I scoffed. "I know that I'm brave enough, but I'm not sure if you are!"

He just chuckled.

We gazed at the sunset, sitting in silence for a long time. I thought of nothing but the entrance into the castle. I thought of the people that I was going to have to leave, the things that I would have to give up. But I also thought of the perfect life I would have. The flawless skin, beautiful hair, and wonderful complexion I would gain.

The sun went down completely, and Jasper stood up and stretched. "We'd better go home."

I also stood up, and picked up my bike. "What, you don't want to go into the forest?" I smiled at him.

He laughed. "Maybe some other time."

As we rode back to The Village, Jasper did not ride ahead of me. Instead, he slowed his pace to match mine.

"You know, I hope that you don't get into the castle," he casually commented.

"That's what my mom said!" I huffed, slightly annoyed.

"But we'll miss you!" he protested.

I flinched. I hated it when Jasper became sappy.

"Yeah, well, keep hoping," I said sarcastically. "I'll hope so too for your sake."

"Yup. We'll jinx your chances of getting in! It'll be a blast!"

I laughed. "Keep dreaming."

It was late when we finally arrived back in The Village, almost ten o' clock. As we reached my house, we found ourselves slowing down.

"Well," I said, stopping in front of my garage. "Good-night."

"You too," he replied. He climbed off his bike. "Janet, are you sure you want to do this? You could do it next year instead of now…"

I reached over to hug him. "I'm sure," I said firmly. "Now, are you going to be there tomorrow, or what?"

"Probably not," he shrugged.

"Jasper!" I protested loudly, causing some neighbours to poke their heads out their windows and complain. I ignored them. "_Please._"

He shook his head stubbornly. "No way. It's such a sad ceremony anyways." He gave me one last, tight hug, and a swift kiss on my cheek before mounting on his bike and riding away. He whispered only three words.

"Good-bye Janet."


	4. An Entrance Into the Castle

**An Entrance Into the Castle**

I fiddled with the bow tied on tightly on my hair nervously. Glancing at the mirror, I smoothed down my skirt and blouse and mildly wondered if how you were dressed mattered.

Mom poked her head into my room. "Are you ready, Janet?"

I stood up straighter, giggling somewhat hysterically. "Oh, yeah, I'm ready. I'm so ready." And just to prove what a nut-job I was, I started singing. "I'm ready, I'm ready, oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready, ready, ready." I know. Real creative song, right?

Mom just _looked _at me. "Are you feeling alright Janet? Maybe you should wait until next year."

"No!" I shouted. She raised an eyebrow. Hastily, I lowered my voice. "I'm fine. Are you? Ready, I mean."

She nodded, looking unusually glum. Well, it was the day of the Choosing, and it was possible that I would never get a chance to see her again, so it made sense that she would be depressed.

Mom entered my room and sat on the bed. I raised my eyebrows. She certainly didn't _look _ready. She was still wearing a bathrobe, and looked like she hadn't washed her face yet.

"Um, Mom, are you sure you're ready?"

"Yes."

"Mom, you might want to change clothes. And wash your face. And take a shower. And—"

She held up a hand to stop me. "Alright Janet! I get it."

I grinned sheepishly, but she did not return a smile. I cleared my throat awkwardly. "Erm, yeah, sorry."

Mom stood up, and walked towards the bathroom. The door closed with a loud bang.

Sighing, I also stood up. Mom would take at least an hour and a half before she was ready. And with the way she was acting, it looked like I had an extra thirty minutes to spare, added to her usual time.

"Mom, I'm going out," I called.

She didn't bother asking where I was going. "Fine. Have fun." She didn't sound terribly interested.

I headed downstairs, and out the door, scowling slightly…

…and with my luck, bumped right into Jasper.

He was the last person I wanted to see after last night. Don't get me wrong, Jas is awesome. More than awesome. The bestest friend ever.

Before he kissed me. Oh, yeah, it was only a little peck in the cheek, but still! This is _Jasper_ we're talking about. Hello? Friends-since-third-grade? Emphasis on _friends_?

"Sorry," I muttered. I hoped my tone of voice made my message clear enough: _Kinda busy at the moment, would appreciate it if you would leave. _"I was just heading out."

"_Jaaaan!_" Jasper, being the idiot he was, didn't catch on. "How's it going?"

I fidgeted awkwardly. "Um. Yeah. Great. What are you doing here?"

He gave me one of his grins. "Real welcoming, Jan." He pushed past me and flopped down on my couch. "Jeez, what's up with you lately? You've been so mean…:"

"What!" I protested as I reluctantly followed him in. "What are you talking about? I've always been nice! _Especially _to you!"

He snorted. "Suck up. You're just being all nice because you hate that I ride faster than you. Don't think I'll slow down anytime soon, and you are not getting me to go easier on you during the bike meets."

Of course, this wasn't what I expected. And I didn't understand _why. _I've been around him long enough to at least have some sort of idea what to anticipate.

So being the great-at-improvising type of person that I was, I naturally had a great comeback.

"What?"

He smirked. "You heard me! I won't slow down for you."

By this time, I had recovered from the surprise and was incredibly red in the face. "That totally contradicted your previous statement! And don't flatter yourself! I don't _need_ you to go easy on me or whatever! I can _so _beat you any day!"

He raised his eyebrows. "Which explains why you haven't done so the past five years, I'm sure."

"I was going easy on _you_!" I howled.

He smirked. I knew he was just waiting for me to cave. And that was something I would not do.

…

I _would _not do it.

…

…

"…Okay, okay, fine! You're better than me! Happy?" I yelled.

"Yup!" he said cheerfully. As if I hadn't just admitted I could never beat him. I was really tempted to whack his head with a vase.

"Janet?" my mom called from the bathroom. "Is that Jasper I hear?"

Glaring at Jas, I called back, "yeah, it is. Don't ask me why he's here."

"You know I don't mind," was my mom's ever-so-loyal response.

"See!" Jasper said brightly. "She doesn't mind!"

I only grunted. Mom, Mom, Mom, I love you, but can't you take my side for once?

"Aw, come on Jan!" Jasper quickly switched from being an annoying best friend to acting like a whiny child. "Don't spend your last days in here sulking! You're mom's not ready yet, right? Then let's go out and bike!"

I looked at him. "Can you _not _see what I'm wearing? I'm not going biking in this!"

"Then why don't you change?" he said dryly.

"No way! This took me forever!"

"What, to put on a shirt and skirt? You're slower than I thought."

"Shut up!"

"Janet, don't be such a bore! Live a little, will you?"

I shot him a withering glare which he choose to ignore. "Fine. We'll go out." Before he could start squealing, I said, "to get _ice cream._Because it's just cool like that."

"Okay, okay," he laughed. "But you might spill some on your clothes. You sure you don't want to change?"

"I'm living life," I replied wryly.

Once again, I told Mom we were going out. She seemed much more cheerful when she yelled through the door, telling me to enjoy myself. I think she hoped Jasper could coax me out of the Choosing for a year.

Yeah, right. That won't happen anytime soon.

Before I could voice my opinions, Jasper grabbed my wrists and dragged me out the door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I said, wrenching my wrist free and rubbing it. "Jeez!"

"You're to slow!" he said over his shoulder.

"At least I'm not— _oof._" Jas had stopped right in front of me.

"Hey!" I complained. "What's your problem? You rush me and then you stop? PMS much? Are you trying to give me a nosebleed or some—"

"Let's go this way!" Jasper said, cutting me off. His voice was light but I could detect some tension in it too. "I know a short cut."

"Jasper-? What-?" I didn't have the time to comprehend what was happening. All I knew was that in no time, we were running along the darkened allies of our town. I tried to stop but his grip on my hand was iron tight and it made it kind of hard to halt without stumbling.

Of course, being the genius that I was, I realized this a little too late. I would've tripped face-first if he hadn't caught my elbow.

"Jeez, you weren't this clumsy yesterday!" he scolded me.

"Yesterday, I wasn't hauled from my own house by some whiny kid and then suddenly sprinted through allies," I retorted, bending over and panting.

"Touché," he muttered.

I ignored my burning legs protests and stood up straight and erect. "What didn't you want me to see?"

"Nothing. What makes you think there was something I wanted to hide from you?"

He was such a bad liar. "Can't be because you, oh, I dunno, pulled me into alleyways saying 'gee, I know a short cut!', can it? Yeah, totally impossible, I get it."

"What's wrong with knowing a short cut?" he protested weakly.

"Do you think I'm stupid? I've lived here since I was born. I know where every pathway leads and I can tell you right now, there is no short cut to the ice cream store." I narrowed my eyes at him. "So tell me right now, Jasper. What didn't you want me to see?"

He looked ready to put up a fight and that was exactly what I got. "I haven't lived here long enough, it seems. So I thought I found a short cute but it turned out to be a longer way," he shrugged helplessly.

Helplessly indeed. "You are a really bad liar."

Jasper grinned feebly. "Yeah, I guess I am."

I gave him the hardest glare I could manage (which is not saying much). "So are you going to tell me or not?"

"Not."

"You're so—!"

"Are we really standing here arguing?"

"Yes!"

"Then we'd better leave. You want ice cream, don't you?" he began walking away.

"Jasper! _Jasper you total—!_" I said, exasperated. He was ignoring me and the only thing I could do was follow him.

* * *

"You're paying for this," I said as we stood in line.

The store was packed, typical as it was a hot day and the sun blazed down mercilessly on them.

"Yes, mother," he teased. The smile never left his face.

I frowned as he did not seem the least bit concerned. He was going to regret it.

When it was our turn to order, I smiled brightly at the server. "Morning! Isn't it a lovely, sunny day?"

Both she and Jasper gave me nervous looks. The former was probably wondering whether I was insane or not, and the latter was concerned about the amount of cash in his pocket.

"Yes," the server said, unnerved. "Quiet lovely. Where you out walking with your, um, boyfriend?"

"Oh, no!" I laughed, my smile as wide as ever. Which really creeped Jasper out. I would usually snap at people who got the wrong idea about our relationship. "You've got it wrong." I turned to Jas. "So what did you want?"

"Uh," he shot me a look, "vanilla, please."

I hummed and skimmed their menu thoroughly. "I'll take the most expensive thing here, please."

The servers tense face immediately relaxed and understanding crossed her eyes. She muttered something that sounded like, "Oh. I see. So it's like that." Out loud she said, "but are you sure about your choice? It cost ten repeus."

When I heard that (and spotted Jaspers pale face), I was ready to gloat. "I'm sure. Don't worry," I assured her." I'm not paying for it, after all. Isn't that right?" I flashed Jasper a grin.

He was rummaging through his pockets and muttering something under his breath. "Jeez. This girl…"

I pretended not to hear.

* * *

I walked up to the crowed of girls gathered at the bottom of the hill, feeling unnerved. They were chattering away excitedly, and did not bother acknowledging my presence. How, I was wondering, do they _not_ feel nervous? I mean, come on, this is something everyone's been waiting for the whole year! And them? _Oh em gee! Can you like, not wait? I mean, like, we'll so get into the castle and become, like, perfect! I like, know, right? Like, we'll have like, silky hair and like, everything!_

I was resisting the sole temptation to tell them to get a life.

I felt out of place amongst the crowd of giggly _like_ girls. I contemplated sitting down on the dirt floor. Screw my outfit. And just as I was about to, I was thoroughly tackled by Isabelle.

"Jan!," she shrieked, clinging onto my arm. "You made it! And," she added pulling away and looking at me up and down. "You dressed up."

Cue the fake tears.

"I'm so proud!" 'Belle wailed. She threw her hands up and I rolled my eyes.

'Belle. She was so irritatingly dramatic. Jasper often asked me why I put up with her and the answer was always the same; she was my best friend. Sure, annoying, but still lovable. And she wasn't like all the other _like_ girls I knew. Her drama was bearable compared to them.

"Of course I came," I grumbled. "What did you expect?"

'Belle stopped and stared at her. "Well, you know. I heard you, ahm, _hung out_ with Jasper last night." She raised her eyebrows.

I tried my best to keep my face neutral. "Yeah, I did. We went biking up to the hills. So?"

She shrugged. "So nothing. I just thought that because Jas always seems to have a great influence on you... being your best friend and all."

"Oh," I said. "He did try to convince me to stay but-"

"Hey!" a voice snapped irritably behind us. "Are you here as a Candidate or what? Didn't you just hear the announcer telling you to gather there? Get a move on!"

Isabelle grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the throng of people before I could respond.

And what happened next is something I will never fail to describe. We were approaching the gates and I don't remember even being given time to say my good-byes. Neither did anyone else, but nobody seemed harassed by it. They were enticed, surging towards the gates and I could only follow the mob.

_Five meters, four meters, three meters..._

We approached it and my heart beat faster, banging on my ribcage. It screamed for me to let it go.

The castle drew nearer and pretty soon, I could see its profile up close. Beautiful, majestic, glorious and eerie. _Eerie?_ I blinked. That thought came out of nowhere. Must be the nerves.

_Two meters, one me-_

And suddenly, very suddenly, we were inside.

The first thing I felt was exhilaration. _We were in! I was in! I got accepted!_ The girls around me roared and cheered and applauded. 'Belle was busy sniffing out tears, which surprised me. What shocked me was that they weren't her fake, dramatic tears, they were genuine ones. I didn't understand why on earth she was crying like that, but gave her a one-armed hug, something difficult to do in a mob of fifty screaming girls.

The castle stood in front of me and as crazy as this sounds, it beamed down on me. And _only_ me. _Welcome Janet,_ it seemed to gloat. _Welcome indeed._

It was normal of me to be questioning my sanity, right? Because as far as I and everyone else was concerned, castles did not talk.

I glanced around to see if anyone had noticed, but no. They were still busy jumping up and down, partying like wild monkeys.

And then- _Mom._ Yes, I thought of my mom. I was proud of it too; I hadn't forgotten her! Huh! Take that, Mom! I broke away from the crowd with some difficulty, and ran back towards the gates. There were about two dozen girls there, half looking stunned, the other half sobbing. I ignored them.

I scanned the large number of people still milling around at the bottom of the hill. Mom, Mom, Mom, where was she? There were so many of the People around, a quarter which weren't even descended from the original People but still liked to call themselves that. They were all multicolored, wearing brown, white, red, green, purple and orange. None of them stood out.

_Janet,_ the castle called me. _My pet, what are you doing? Come in._

I did not respond. How could anyone reply to that? I mean, seriously, my pet? What the heck?

I continued searching for Mom.

I began to despair never finding Mom when someone yelled my name. At first, I thought it was just the castle but then I realized that the voice was masculine whereas the castle seemed to have no gender. I looked for the caller.

_Jasper!_ My heart leapt as I spotted him. If he was there, then I still had a chance! He could help me!

He was glaring up at me. Yes, _glaring._ As in, serious glaring.

I didn't have the time to wonder what I did wrong. The castle was calling me, and its power was pulling me away. _Get in, _it insisted. It was all I could do not to succumb to its wishes.

I really needed a therapist.

"Mom!" I yelled at the top of my lungs to Jasper. "Where's Mom?"

He looked hurt for a second. I couldn't comprehend why. He pointed to a lady standing next to him.

I felt so stupid. Mom was there, standing next to Jas all along. And I hadn't noticed.

She cupped her hands to her mouth and shouted something back. I furrowed my eyebrows in concentration, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't hear her.

"What?" I screamed. For reasons I couldn't understand, everything was so loud. It wasn't the cheering new castle girls, it wasn't the numerous amount of People down at the foot of the hill. I didn't know what it was, only that it got louder each passing second.

And it hurt my ears. A lot.

_Come in,_ the castle's voice was soothing. _The pain will go away._

Not yet, I breathed fervently. Soon, but not yet.

When I paid attention to Mom and Jas again, they were both attempting to tell me something. I squinted and tried hard to hear.

After much struggling, I made out two words; _Don't forget_.

"I won't!" I shouted at them. I offered them a weak grin but it quickly slipped. The invisible noise was giving me a headache. It mounted every second.

My face, was tight. I was trying not to show how much it hurt.

I waved good-bye to them.

"Hey, Jan!" Jasper's voice rang out clearly, unlike my Mom's. I could hear with clarity his words. "I bought you ice cream that cost ten repeus! You'd better pay me back one day!"

If I hadn't had a massive headache, and if the noise had stopped, I would've laughed. All the same, I smiled and waved once more.

The pain increased and I almost doubled over.

_Come in. The pain will cease._

I gave in to its demands.


	5. An Insane Voice

**An Insane Voice**

When I saw the inside, all thoughts of Mom and Jasper vanished into thin air. The pain subsided and it was as if it were never there. The castle seemed to chuckle with pleasure. _It is impressive, is it not?_

A school for kids? It looked more like the king's castle!

Though it's walls were stony and Medieval-like from the outside, the giant room I was in was flourished with bright gold tapestries, incarnate of the artists own thoughts and feelings. The elaborately designed ceiling was covered with scarlet feathers which were tinted with forest green sparkles from inch to inch. I didn't know how they made it look so _good_. Feathers were usually not my thing but- _wow!_In the center hung a complexly interwoven chandelier. Streamers of aureate light green were curled and they dangled softly off of the chandelier.

Impressive indeed.

When I finally realized that I had been gaping for a good ten minutes (and that drool was coming out of my mouth), I snapped myself awake and walked over to one of the tapestries. I touched it gently, afraid that just by looking at it I would destroy some part of its beauty.

Jasper should have been here to see it.

I felt a small twinge of sudden sadness as I remembered that I would probably never see him or anyone in the Village ever again. I would live here for the rest of my life with these girls and die within the artfully constructed walls. Speaking of which, where did the dead go?

_Now is not the time to be thinking of such matter_._ Join the others._

I didn't bother protesting, though I did want to stay a bit longer. Casting a longing glance over my shoulder, I slowly walked towards the crowd of girls milling around below the chandelier. There were also two adult women yelling, trying to control the mob of excited females.

I saw Isabelle looking for me.

"Where were you?" 'Belle hissed as she latched onto my arm. "You took forever to get in!"

"Had to say good-bye to Mom," I said. " And Jas. It's not like they gave us time to do it beforehand."

"Mom? Jas?" Confusion flitted across 'Belle's eyes for a second before understanding kicked in. "Oh. Well, I can understand your mom, but why Jasper? Didn't you already, like, three times?"

It was one of those moments I wished I wasn't good friends with 'Belle. She was just so _insensitive_at times.

"You're not the only best friend I have," I said, not bothering to keep the annoyance out of my voice. "And I'll see you every day whereas I'll never see him again."

Isabelle raised her eyebrows. "Alrighty. No need to get prissy over it. I get it." She shot me a knowing smile. "You didn't have to come if you wanted to stay there with the People."

I ignored the meaningful look she was practically beaming. "No, I wanted to come. Really. I mean, who doesn't?"

'Belle shrugged. "You know. People who have a lot going for them, I guess." She cast a smirk in my direction. "You know what I mean."

"We've had this conversation before," I said. "Come on. Those adults are calling to us. Let's go."

She pursed her lips and looked like she was about to say more, but I pulled a Jas on her. (Remember when Jas walked off without giving me any answers? Yeah. I decided to name that move in honor of his _gentlemanliness_.)

'Belle followed me resignedly. "We're not done this conversation," she called as she trailed behind me.

"What's the point of continuing it?" I countered. "We're in the castle. It's our dream come true. We'll never see the Village again. So?"

"You could just leave. I bet nobody has ever tried prying open those doors and walking out."

"You know we can't pass the gates," I snorted. "Or else we'd have seen the students from the previous years."

She didn't answer and I didn't bother turning around. I knew she was shrugging anyways.

"I was kidding," she muttered. "No need to laugh."

I was about to tell her that I knew she was joking, but the adults beat me.

"Settle down!" This was the voice of the tallest woman. She had striking features and blond hair which was piled up on top of her head in a bun.

Nobody listened to her. The excited chit chat of _like_ girls filled the air as they squealed about _what an honor it is to be able to attend this school_ and _how amazing are these tapestries!_

I couldn't really blame them on the latter.

Another tall and thin-as-a-stick woman strode confidently into the hall. She was a brunette with bouncing curls.

"I like her clothes," 'Belle whispered to me. I didn't even get why she was talking so softly. I mean, we were in a hall with fifty screaming girls. It wasn't like the adults were going to overhear our conversations any time soon.

I felt the castle chuckle.

Now, that might be another problem.

"Did you hear that?" I asked 'Belle quietly, though I was sure that no amount of whispering could get us our privacy.

She gave me a funny look. "Janet, you must be deaf to _not_hear them." She gestured at a bunch of older girls who were doing some kind of crazy victory dance.

"I know," I said. "I didn't mean them. I meant- well, um- the castle-"

I realized that no matter how I phrased it, I would sound like a loony. Heck, I felt like a loony too. No matter how real the talking castle may have been, I was just imagining it. Hallucinations. I shivered.

"Never mind," I said. "I must be tired and hearing things."

A brief expression passed 'Belle's face and I could tell she was wondering whether or not the castle had a shrink.

_Of course not, darling._ It seemed amused. _You're not going crazy._

Okay. That was it. I was 100% sure I was nuts. Because when you hallucinate, the mirages are obviously going to tell you that you were perfectly sane. I should know. I'd seen enough delirious people staggering out of the forest, desperately trying to convince themselves they were okay when they were talking to things and people that weren't there.

_Got anything to say about that?_I silently yelled, glancing up.

To my relief, it didn't answer.

"If you do not settle down this instant, we will kick you out of the castle!"

That got everybody's attention. The brunette shared a smile with the other women before returning back to her serious demeanor. I got the feeling that she did that a lot to newbies and that it was an empty threat. I nudged 'Belle to tell her but she glared at me and hissed, "_shh!_"

"Thank you," the blond said quieter. "Now, onto business."

"Introductions first," a red-haired woman said from behind her.

It's safe to say that everyone gasped. Her stunning blue eyes and porcelain coloured face could have captivated any man in the Village. To top it off, she had dimples when she smiled. She wore a simple cream coloured tunic, similar to the rest of the adults, but she had somehow managed to pull that off.

"You're kidding," 'Belle muttered to me. "Who else do you know that's that perfect?"

I knew who she was talking about. Whenever a herd of boys passed by my house, I knew exactly where they were going- or rather, _who_they were going to see.

"Rosalie," I whispered back. "But I think this lady beats her."

"My name is Neisha," the blond was saying. She gestured at the Rosalie-like person. "This is Leandra, and the brunette is Elliebella. We are the heads of the divisions."

"Exotic names," I remarked quietly. 'Belle nodded.

"What divisions?" A voice shouted from the front.

"You didn't expect all of you to be stuffed in the same dorms, did you?" snorted Elliebella. "No. You'll be divided into six divisions. There's a head for each one."

"Be nice, Bella," Neisha said sternly. Turning back to the crowd, she said, "Please line up in front of me _without squabbling_. Shortly, you will all be interviewed by Mr. Diasuke, our principle."

There was a mad rush for Neisha as she finished speaking.

"Stop! Stop! One at a time!" she yelled. "Do you _want_to be kicked out of here?"

This seemed to calm everyone down. One by one, the girls slowly filed out of the hall and into the other room.

"Come on," 'Belle said as she walked towards at the end of the line.

"Wait," I said. I glanced at the doors which led to the Village. "There are still a lot of people. We have time to pay a visit to the Village and say our good-byes."

I couldn't really describe the change in 'Belle's atitude. One minute she was cheerfully supporting me in everything I did and the next she was spitting angry with me.

Either way, she froze and whirled around to face me. "Are you mad?" she yelled. "We got accepted. We can't go back out there! We're in here for life!" Her breath was ragged and she breathed hard.

Instinctively, I took a step back. This was past 'Belle's usual dramatics.

She looked struck. "I- wow- I- sorry- I don't know where that came from," she shook her head as if to clear it. She muttered something under her breath that sounded like, "-uptight. Way to uptight. Chill, 'Belle." She glanced back at me. "It's just that... what if we can't get back in once we get out?"

"We don't have to leave the gates," I pointed out, still feeling a bit wary of her. She didn't look completely tamed yet. "Not that we could anyways. They can't lock us out unless we leave the property."

She still looked unsure.

"So you don't want to talk to your parents one more time?" I asked.

"No. I mean, yes. Of course I do. But I bet they're long gone by now."

"It's only been, like, twenty minutes," I scoff. "They'll still be there as they are every year, hoping that their little darling will come back."

She stood for a moment, swaying on her feet. Then firmly, she shook her head. "Sorry. And I don't think you should either."

I only shrugged. "Apparently, I have to pay a certain someone for ice cream which he said _he_ would pay for." I rolled my eyes. "Got ten repeus, by any chance?" I was trying to lighten the mood. I didn't care if it set 'Belle in one of her _aw, you guys are cute!_rampages. Anything was better than a vicious 'Belle.

She didn't fall for the bait.

"No, I'm serious. Don't."

"Look," I said. "I have to. I still have somethings I want to say to Mom."

"And Jasper," she added under her breath.

"I heard that," I growled.

She ignored me and fluttered her eyes while clasping her hands together. "_Oh, please never forget me, because I'll never forget you!_"

She laughed as I groaned. Secretly, I was relieved. Scary 'Belle seemed to have disappeared.

"You'd better not act like that _ever_if we ever see him again. Or you'll regret it," I warned. "And I mean it."

"Please," she scoffed. "As if I haven't embarrassed you guys enough in the past."

"This is why we don't invite you out." I started to inch myself towards the door. "Look, I'm going to go. I'll be back in a second. You sure you don't want to come?"

She nodded but looked unsure.

I didn't bother hanging around to try and convince her. The line was rapidly moving forward and my time was running out. I headed towards the huge oak doors. I pushed on the doors softly, trying not to make any noise.

_My pet,_ the castle called to me, alarmed. _What are you doing?_

I considered that a pretty stupid question and headed outside without answering. What did it look like I was doing?

The sun broke through, shinning more brightly than I had ever seen. I could see the Village down below us, not to far from here. Some of the People glanced up, startled as they noticed the open oak doors. They stared. Nothing like this had really ever happened before.

I grinned, feeling some what proud of that accomplishment- shocking the People and being the first girl to open up the doors from the inside. I stepped out onto the dirt ground-

-and immediately doubled over. The pain had returned, increased by ten times.

_Proud feeling gone, proud feeling gone._

_Come back, Janet, _the castle said. It's voice was hard and cold. I had never heard it like that.

I quail. It was like I didn't have a mind of my own.

Wait. Scratch that. Of course I did. It was the pain that almost drove me back. All I could think of was _the pain, the pain, the pain._

I almost listened to it, as I glanced back at the castle's warm and cozy room.

Almost.

_Janet_, the castle insisted. _Get in_.

It was that voice that snapped me back into consciousness. Which was pretty ironic if you thought about it- the castle wanted me back in there, yet it was the reason I wanted out. Think of it as a reverse psychology method.

Either way, I didn't want that thing thinking it could control me with it's pain.

(Even though it could.)

I forced myself up, the agony accumulating every step I took. Have you ever been stabbed ten times in places where the sun don't shine, beaten to death with a dragooning base-ball bat and compressed so securely with an adamantine rope, that you literally could no longer breathe?

Me neither.

But it felt like I was certainly experiencing it. I sunk back down on my knees and focused on taking shallow breaths. The pain did not cease, but I steeled myself and crawled out.

I could see people staring at me through my disoriented line-of-view. A part of me wondered if Mom was part of the crowd.

_JANET._

I curled into a ball and hid my face as a horrendous wave of pain struck me. The castle was angry. Very angry. It did not take 'no' for an answer. Squishing my eyes tightly, I inched forward a bit.

I could tell the castle was trying its hardest to control its rage.

"Janet! Jan!" At first, I thought it was the castle, but I soon realized the voice had a masculine edge to it. "Your mom's still here, you know! Don't be lazy and get up!"

I twitched in annoyance, almost forgetting about the castle's attack on me. Forcing myself on my knees, I slowly stood up and wobbled a few steps. "Shut up, you loser!" I croak back. "Says the kid who wet himself because the washroom was _'too far away!'_"

Though my sight was rather disoriented, I could see Jasper color and some of the People hoot. Mom stood next to Jasper, a hand on his shoulder and a crooked sort of smile on her face. I would have smiled too, in normal circumstances. I swear Mom thought of Jasper as her own son.

"I was _five!_Give me a break!"

Another wave hit me and I gasped and clutched my sides. I grit my teeth and my hand clench. I tried right myself, so that my pain wasn't obvious but I could only manage a grim smile. I felt like I had just had eleven teeth pulled out without any knock-out gas.

A cold hand touched my shoulder. I could barely acknowledge it.

"Janet, are you alright? I think you should come in. We'll send you to the infirmary." It was Neisha. Gently, she pried my balled hand lose and pulled me up.

I didn't resist as she led me back inside, leaving the People behind me.


	6. A Creepy Principal

**A Creepy Principal**

"Janet Valenza!"

Standing up, I wobbled to the front of the crowd, ignoring the dirty looks I got from the other Candidates. Or were we no longer called that? Maybe Castle Acceptees was a more reasonable name.

_Why does she get to jump line? _they were probably thinking.

Well, my fellow soon-to-be classmates. You see, I did have a fainting spell earlier today in the infirmary.

I pushed on the door lightly, but was surprised when it actually swung open, revealing a hollow room. It was sphere shaped and painted a light, almost gossamer shade of green. The walls were decorated with awards and medals all addressed to Mr. Diasuke. A single light bulb hung above the chair he sat at, scribbling away at notes. The room was designed to comfort all Castle Acceptees, I could tell, but despite its obvious warm atmosphere, I was suddenly very nervous.

"Close the door please."

Hastily, I stepped deeper into the room and shut the door quietly behind my, cheeks burning. I hadn't even had noticed that I had been wide-eyed with shock and admiration, and that my mouth kept opening and closing without any sufficient noises coming out.

For a good long ten minutes, no one spoke. The only sound that filled the room was the scratching of Mr. Diasuke's quill as it cascaded smoothly line after line on the rough parchment. The sphere-like shape of the room made it easier for the noises to bounce and thus, echoed.

Not for the first time, I desperately wished Jasper was here. He would have known what to do about the awkward build up of silence in here. He would most probably have pointed out some silly thing about Mr. Diasuke or the amount of certificates he had on the wall and we would have trouble concealing laughter. Realizing this, I did exactly as Jasper would have done. I squinted, carefully scrutinizing the principal and his features. He was skinny, almost to the point of only skin and bones, no flesh. His fingers were long and seemed well practiced with defense weapons. A mop of dark curly brown hair covered his head and some locks had fallen out of their place.

There was nothing to laugh at.

I quickly glanced down at his shoes, not expecting much. They were perfectly polished, shinier than any stainless steel pot I had ever seen. I had to blink a little and look away after a few minutes.

_They're shinier than my mom's jewelry, and you_ know_ that's saying something._

I almost burst into loud guffaws at the mental sound of Jasper's voice. It had been an inside joke of ours, the sheen-like quality of his late-mom's necklaces. There lay a long story behind it.

Of course, Mr. Diasuke choose that moment to finally stop scrawling and look at me. I could barely maintain an impassive face. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep my emotions from betraying me.

"Janet." Rising and coming from around the table, he extended his hand out. I realized what he was doing a moment too soon.

Fumbling and blushing furiously _(smooth Jan, smooth)_, I grasp his hand and shook it. Looking up, I met his coal black eyes and his eyebrows raised about a millimeter. I still caught the gesture.

"Take a seat," he gestured at one of the chairs which lay passively in front of his desk as he sat back down.

I didn't understand why, but I felt rebellious. Like, don't-tell-me-what-to-do rebellious, which probably was going to get me kicked out of the castle, but the impulse was too strong to ignore. I settled for sitting perched on the chair he hadn't indicated to.

This time, he visibly raised an eyebrow. I flashed him a nervous half-hearted grin in response.

He unlocked a drawer and rummaged around until he came up with a pile of papers. His finger trailed along the words.

"Valenza," he murmured, more for his benefit than mine. After a few seconds, he looked back up at me. "Janet Valenza. Where have I heard that name before?"

I swallowed noisily. Was the other Janet Valenza a rogue of some kind? Had she attended this school and gotten into some major trouble? What if she had been _expelled?_

Stop panicking, the rational side of me snapped. Of course not. She would have been infamous in the Village, had she been released from the castle.

Mr. Diasuke snapped his fingers. "Ah! Of course. You're the daughter of Marie Valenza. I should have known." Taking a moment to shake his head, as if to clear his thoughts, he continued, "We're all very pleased to have you here with us."

When he said that, three rational thoughts popped into my mind; you don't look pleased; so you're fine with me, but not Mom; I'm hungry and want some ice cream. I could still taste the double chocolate Jasper had bought me this morning and man, it sucked; did living in the castle mean I would never get to eat my favorite (double fudge with smarties and oreo bits) flavor again?

I blinked. Ice cream? Where the turtles did that come from? Gosh, I was turning into Jasper. I almost made a mental note to myself to stop hanging around him so much, before I realized that was pointless because it wasn't like I even _could_.

And then I noticed the unintentional plural form he had slipped in. "We?" I asked.

For a second, the young principal looked unsettled. Then just as fast, he regained his composure. "We," he confirmed, nodding. "Me and the teachers."

Right. He's not hiding _anything_. I wondered if he really meant the castle in 'we', but I didn't get a chance to ask.

"So, Janet, what dorm would you like to be in?"

I blinked. Dorm? I hadn't even considered that far. "Um, well, is there a difference?"

He laughed lightly. "Of course, you wouldn't know. There are different types of Mays, which is what we call students that attend perfectionist schools like ours."

"There are others?" I asked, taken back.

"Yes," he said dismissively. "But not in this world."

"Oh," was my ingenious response. My mind was reeling. I had, of course, never been to other worlds but I had heard a lot about them. I knew that in some, there were harsh and never-ending winters, while others were as hot and dry as the Hyuuna Desert. I didn't know why it had never occurred to me that there could have been other schools like this.

"As I was saying, there are different types of Mays, which reflect on your personality, though you get to decide untimely. Sort of." He smiled in a joking way, but I could see a sliver of an evil gleam in his eye.

I swear I almost squeaked.

_You loser. You're just imagining things and making excuses for chickening out. Baby. _Jasper's voice rang out clearly, like he was in the room scoffing at me.

I narrowed my eyes and lifted my chin up. I was _not_imagining things! He actually looked scary for a second there!

...Then again. I was talking to the castle, feeling some kind of intense pain whenever I stepped out of its doors, and now I was talking to Jasper. Who was, by the way, _in my head._

I was delusional. He might have a point.

"So what type of Mays are there?" I said.

"It would take too long to explain them all. We have six dorms," he tacked on the last sentence at my questioning glance. He licked his finger and then began thumbing his way through the papers.

Another silence ensued and it only occurred to me then that the stack of papers he had were probably all on me. The thought unnerved me.

"Are they-" I stopped mid-sentence, hesitant. If they weren't, how awkward would that be? He might think that I was self-centered or something.

"Yes," he said, without pausing so much as a heart beat. "They are."

He knew what I had been able to ask.

"How-" I began before being cut off by a sharp laugh.

"How did I know what you were going to say? You're not the first May to enter through these doors in that state." He looked up at me, eyes dry.

I got the feeling that he was talking about me being bonkers. You know. Hearing the castle and all that.

"Um, actually," I said. "I was going to ask how you got pages of information on me."

He blinked, surprised. "That's a first. Most Mays don't bother asking. They are to giddy with excitement."

I shrugged, heat crawling back up my face. Why did I always manage to do the wrong things in front of the darned principal of the school? "Sorry," I said hastily. "That was rude. Don't answer."

He ignored me. "We have a lot of informants out in the Village. We know every little thing about everyone. We take special care to keep a close eye on girls who want to become Mays."

...Every little thing?

"For example," he continued, oblivious to my reaction. "Don't think we missed out on that date you had with your friend Jasper out of the Village. I have to say, we thought we lost you for a second. But you came through."

Darn it. Just as soon as the blush faded away from my cheeks, he had to say something really, really embarrassing that brought on another fresh assault. "Oh."

He nodded. "Anyways, do you have a preference?"

"Well, um, with all due respect sir, if I don't even know what the dorms are like, how am I supposed to choose one?" I hesitated to question him, but it was inevitable. What else was I going to say? _Yeah, um, I'd like that dorm over on the east side. No, I don't know what the Mays are like there but that's okay. I'm sure I'll fit in perfectly!_ Okay, no. I couldn't even get along with a fraction of the _like _girls.

"I know," he said, selecting an empty parchment. "You're right. What shall we do?"

I got the feeling that he was testing me to see how I would react. I mused over the problem lightly. Well. A challenge is a challenge, no matter who it was issued from.

"I'm not sure," I answered truthfully, biting on my lips and staring at my hands which rested on my lap. I knew this would help with the picture I wanted to portray of myself. "You could tell me about them, maybe. But I understand if it's too much of a hassle." I glare up at him, my eyes steely. The tables had reversed; I was challenging him this time.

I could tell he was slightly taken back, though he recovered quickly. "Hmm. Quite the dilemma, isn't it?" he said smoothly.

I nodded and refrained from speaking up. Instead, we locked gazes in a sort of staring contest. I kept my glare fierce enough to make an impression, but soft enough to let him know I wasn't his predator, not really. He was attempting to do the same with me, though to be honest I doubted he was as good. Neither one of us budged.

Thirty seconds. One minute. One and a half. I still hadn't blinked. There was a reason Jasper called me the Unblinking Master. Don't ask.

Finally, a sharp rapping at the door startled and caused me to jump.

"Come in," Mr. Diasuke called. Looking back at him, I saw that he still kept his stony eyes trained on me.

It was really, really creepy.

A tall and skinny woman entered. She had her hair up in a bun though several strands of hair escaped its prison. Her face was set into a permanent worried expression and her mouth was drawn in a thin line.

"I am sorry to interrupt, but the new Mays are becoming anxious." Her voice was smooth and connected. Legato, almost.

At last, he was forced to turn away from me. He nodded at the lady. "Yes, of course. I was merely assessing Janet, our newest May. Janet Valenza."

I thought I saw a spark of recognition flash across the woman's face, but it passed rapidly. "Ah." She took my hand and shook it. "Welcome, Janet. My name is Minerva. Minerva Sparks. It is nice to meet you."

"Likewise," I said softly.

"I hope to see you around the school." With a curt nod, she walked off.

"You're a May Mega User," Mr. Diasuke stated bluntly, in two seconds flat.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Your dorm," he explained patiently. "And your field of expertise."

"Oh," I said for the third time.

He waved his hand towards the door. The dismissal was clear.

"Thank you," I said, turning to leave.

"One more thing," he called.

I turned back.

"I have a feeling that we're going to get along very well." He offered me what I assumed was supposed to be a friendly smile, but it was forced and came out as a grimace.

Shooting him a tight grin back, I retreated into the safety of the hall.

* * *

**A/N: Try reading the rest of the story before you start saying I was copying someone (whose story I had never heard of, much less read until someone brought it up). Okay, hun? Thanks. Bye. :)**


End file.
